Mailing pocket for mail chutes



2 Sheets-Sheet l quc.

IN VEN TORS.

A TTORNE YS.

H. E. PRUSS ET AL Filed April 21, 1951 MAILING POCKET FOR MAIL CHUTES Oct. 31, 1933. H, E. PRUss Er A1.

l MAILING POCKET FOR MAIL CHUTES Filed April 21 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A TTORNE YS.

Patented @et 31, 1933 MAILING POCKET FOR MAIL CHUTES Hugo E. Pruss, Berkeley, and Lewis R. Steinberg,

San Francisco, Calif.,

assignors, by mesne assignments, to Federal Mail Chute Corp., Ltd.,

San Francisco, Calif.,

fornia a corporation of Cali- Application April 21, 1931. Serial No. 531,662

10 Claims.

This invention relates to mailing pockets for mail chutes, that is, to pockets to be attached to mail chutes at each floor of the building so that the tenants may conveniently deliver their letters and the like into-the mails.

Ordinarily these mail chutes run from the top to the bottom of a building with mailing openings at each floor, and they are generally so designed that they will accommodate letters and other mailable matter of a certain limited size as specified by the United States Post-Oiiice Department. The tenants of a buildingprovided with mail chutes frequentlywishto mailenvelopes of a` larger size than will be accommodated without folding, and while it is desired by the Post-Office Department that such matter be mailed in a separate box provided therefor, yet many tenants of a building bend or fold over such a large envelope, insert it into the ordinary Lmailing pocket and push it down. There is a tendency for such folded envelope to spread and unfold, with the result that it Jams sometimes in the mailing pocket but more frequently in the chute itself, so that mail delivered from fioors above will be held up thereby and will not fall down into the box provided at the lower end of the chute to receive the mail.

An object of the present invention is to provide a mailing pocket for mail chutes Which will prevent the admission of such thick or folded inail.

Another object of the invention is to permit the insertion only part way of such objectionable mail matter so that a person attempting to deliver it into the mail chute will immediately recognize his inability to do so and mail it at the proper place.

Another object of the invention is to provide a shelf, past which unobjectionable mail may be delivered into the chute, While objectionable mail of the type described will rest upon such shelf.

Another object of the invention is to provide a means for directing unobjectionable mail past such shelf and which will become inoperative upon the attempted insertion of objectionable mail.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent in the appended description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

On such drawings- Fig. 1 is a front elevation ci our mailing pocket as applied to a mail chute. l

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross section thereof taken on the line II-II of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken along the line III--III of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line IV--IV of Fig. 2 with parts broken away.

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic View of a modification.

Fig. 6 is also a diagrammatic view of a modification.

The chute itself may be of any desired type and generally will comprise a metal backing 10 and sides 11 extending from the top :door of the building continuously down through to the box from which the post-oice oicial collects the mail, such backing walls generally being made of metal. A mailing pocket is generally connected with the chute, one at each floor and at such a height that the general public can reach it conveniently, one such pocket being indicated gen erally by the numeral 12. The front face of the chute is generally made of glass which is connected with the top of the pocket and with the bottom of the pocket in such a manner that nothing can be inserted into the chuteiexcept through the mailing pocket, and that the chute may not be tampered with by an unauthorized' person.

Our novel pocket comprises a casing having a front face 13 of metal with an opening 14 therein, and a sheet of glass 15 is attached to this front face in anysuitable manner to close such opening. As shown on Fig. 2, the edges of the sheet of glass may rest against shoulders 15a and be secured thereto by means of strips 16 suitably held in place by screws 17. An opening 18 is used for the insertion of the non-objectionable mail matter, which on being inserted through such opening, is directed by the flap 19 through the opening 20 into the mail chute, such opening 20 being formed by the lower edge of the flap 19 and the lower edge of the upper half 21 of the dividing rear wall, such rear wall comprising the part 2l just mentioned and the lower part 22. The parts 21 and 22 are more or less parallel to each other in order that the upper edge of the part 22 may be disposed forwardly of the lower edge of the part 21 to provide the slot. At the upper edge of the lower part 22 there is a horizontal ledge or shelf 23 which is situated under the ap 19, the flap 19 being so balanced and hung on the arms 24 that the ap 19 normally hangs obliquely with the lower edge thereof slightly to the rear of the upper edge of the lower wall member 22, whereby unobjectionable mail when dropped through the slot 18 will slide along the ap 19 through the opening 20 into the chute.

But if a lled envelope be folded over` and inarm 24 pivotally swung at 26 by screws 27.

serted through the slot 18, it will expand within the pocket and press the ap 19 forwardly, that is, toward the right, as shown in Fig. 2, one edge thereof riding along the inner face of the upper wall member 21 and the other edge thereof along the fiap 19 until the shelf 23 is reached. If the dimension that the folded piece of mail tends to assume is greater than the width of the opening 20, such mail will be prevented from passing into the chute by the shelf 23, and it must either be left with the endl projecting out of the slot 18, since the pocket is dimensioned with this in view, or the person attempting to insert the objectionable mail will remove it and mail it elsewhere.

The flap 19 may if desired be provided with a forwardly extending flange 25, such flap, as previously stated, being supported on a U-shaped Stops 28 may be provided to adjust the proper width of the opening 20.

On Fig. 5 we have shown a somewhat different arrangement of parts which, however, function on the same general principle, the ap, however, acting in a manner reverse to that in which it acts in the modification illustrated in Fig. 2. In this embodiment the mail matter is inserted through the slot 29 and, if of the proper dimensions, it slides along the curved guide member 30 through the opening 31 into the chute 32. If it has any tendency to expand after insertion into the pocket, it forces the flap 33 which is pivoted at 34 rearwardly, that is, to the left, as shown in Fig. 5, and an edge of the objectionable mail will then strike against the forwardly projecting shelf 35 upon which it Will rest and which will prevent it from passing into the chute. The flap 33 is normally so hung and balanced that the lower edge thereof will be slightly forward, that is, to the right of the end of the projecting shelf ,35 so that it will steer suitable mail matter clear 'of such shelf.

On Fig. 6 we have shown still another specific modification wherein the flap 36 is pivoted, at

37, and this cooperates with a balance shelf comprising an L-shaped member 38 pivoted at 39, the horizontal member 40 of which is normally slightly forward of the lower edge of the flap 36. Mail inserted through the slot 41, if suitable, is accordingly steered by the flap 36 through the opening 42 into the chute 43, while such mail as has a tendency to expand within the pocket, presses the ap 36 to the right so that the flap strikes the projecting part 44 on the upright member of the shelf, thus forcing part 44 forwardly or to the right as shown on Fig. 6, which results in projecting the horizontal part 40 of the shelf member into the opening 42 to prevent the mail from entering the chute.

The front face of the pocket is hinged at 45 to provide quick and easy opening and closing of the pocket, and a lock 46 is provided so that the post-office oicials may lock the same. A U-shaped member having a horizontal portion 47 and upright portions 48 rests on top of the pocket, the horizontal member being'cut away as at 49 to provide a portion of the slot 18. The lower part 47 is so shaped that the bottom 50 thereof rests between the back member 21 and the door 13 when the door is closed. A like member 51 is provided at the bottom of the pocket, the part 52 of which likewise rests between the back member 22 and the door 13 when the door is closed. The member 51, however, is not provided with a cut-away portion as is the member 47, but attached to it are the upright members 53 projecting downwardly which are similar to the upwardly projecting members 48.

Projecting from the walls 11 are flanges 54 which may be formed integral therewith as by bending or stamping. These flanges run continuously throughout the length of the mail chute. Surrounding the members 48 and 53 at each side of the box is a molding 55 which grips the glass front 56 of the chute, which glass front extends above and below the mailing pocket, while interposed between the molding and the glass plate is a packing member 57.

While we have described various embodiments of our invention, we have done so merely as i1- lustrative thereof and not asa limitation thereof, for it is to be understood that many different modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A mailing pocket for attachment to a mail chute comprising a casing having an inlet slot and an outlet slot, a movable flap and an obstruction, said flap being between said slots and being yieldably mounted to remain normally in a position to direct mail matter the dimensions of which are within predetermined limits, from said inlet slot to said outlet slot, said flap being easily movable by mail matter assuming a dimension beyond said limits, said obstruction being so positioned with respect to said slots that said objectionable mail matter will strike thereagainst when said flap is so moved from its normal position.

2. A mailing pocket for attachment to the front ofv a mail chute comprising a casing having an inlet slot and having an outlet slot therefrom to lead into the mail chute, said second mentioned slot being rearwardly of said first mentioned slot, said second mentioned slot being formed by and between the end of a rear wall of said easing and by a pivoted flap in front of said rear wall, said pivoted flap normally being in oblique position in the general direction running from said first mentioned slot to said second mentioned slot, a shelf in xed position underneath said flap and cooperating with said end of said rear wall to form said second mentioned slot when said flap is positioned forwardly of its normal position, the lower end of said iiap being normally further from said lower end of said rear wall than from the adjacent end of said shelf.

3. A mailing pocket for attachment to the front of a mail chute comprising a casing having an inlet slot and an outlet slot, a pivoted flap normally extending in the general direction from said first mentioned slot to said second mentioned slot, an L-shaped element having an upright member and a horizontal member and being pivoted between the ends of said upright member, said horizontal member being normally away from the slot, said flap when forced out of normal position striking against said upright member above said pivot to swing said horizontal member across said second mentioned slot, said flap normally direct- A ing mail matter which has dimensions within predetermined limits from said inlet slot to and through said outlet slot and being movable by over-sized mail matter to present said horizontal member in the path between said slots.

4.` A mailing pocket for use with a mail chute, comprising a casing having an inlet slot and an outlet slot, and a stationary shelf in the line of path of oversized mail matter but not in the line of path of other mail matter, and a swinging flap positioned normally to direct mail matter past said shelf and movable by oversized mail matter to present said shelf in the path of said oversized mail matter.

5. A mailing pocket for attachment to the front of a mail chute comprising a casing having an inlet slot and having an outlet slot therefrom to lead into the mail chute, said second mentioned slot being rearwardly of said flrst mentioned slot, said second mentioned slot being formed by and between the end of a rear wall of said' casing and by a pivoted ap in front of said rear wall, said pivoted flap normally being in oblique position in the general direction running from said rst mentioned slot to said second mentioned slot, an obstruction in fixed position underneath said flap and cooperating with said end of said rear wall to form said second mentioned slot when said ap is positioned forwardly of its` normal position.

6. A mailing pocket for use with a mail chute, comprising a casing having an inlet slot and having an outlet slot to lead into the mail chute, said second mentioned slot being rearwardly of said first mentioned slot, said second mentioned slot being formed by and between the end of a rear wall of said casing and a pivoted ap in front of said rear wall, said pivoted ilap normally being in oblique position in the general direction running from said rst mentioned slot to said second mentioned slot, a shelf in Xed position underneath said flap and cooperating with said end of said rear wall to form said second mentioned slot when said flap is positioned forwardly of its normal position, the upper portion of said flap being forwardly of said rst mentioned slot, whereby oversized mail matter will swing said flap forwardly to permit the inserted end of said oversized mail matter to strike said shelf, and whereby other mail matter will be directed through said second mentioned slot by said flap.

7. A mailing pocket for use with a mail chute, comprising a casing having an inlet slot and an outlet slot, a shelf in said casing, and movable means interposed between said slots to direct mail matter which has dimensions within predetermined limits pastsaid shelf and from said inlet s'lot to said outlet slot, said means being movable by oversized mail matter to present said shelf to the foremost endl of said oversized mail matter.

8. A mailing pocket for use with a mail chute, coinprisinga casing having an inlet slot and an outlet slot, an obstruction in said casing, and movable means interposed between said slots to direct mail matter which has dimensions Within predetermined limits past said obstruction and from said inlet slot to said outlet slot and movable by oversized mail matter to present said obstruction ahead of and in the path of said oversized mail matter.

9. A mailing pocket for use with a mail chute, comprising a casing having an inlet slot and an outlet slot, and a stationary obstruction in the line of path of oversized mail matter but not in the line of path of other mail matter, and a swinging ap positioned normally to direct mail matter past said obstruction and` movable by oversized mail matter to present said obstruction in the path of ysaid oversized mail matter.

10. A mailing pocket for use with a mail chute,

- comprising a casing having an inlet slot and an outlet slot, an obstruction in the line of path of oversized mail matter but not in the line of path of permissible size mail matter, anda swinging flap positioned normally to direct permissible size mail matter past said obstruction and movable by oversized mail matter to present said obstruction to the foremost end of said oversized mail matter.

HUGO E. PRUSS.

LEWIS R. STEINBERG. 

